This Brew City Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich recipe is made with ribeye steak wet rubbed in beer, sliced bell peppers and Italian bread.
Quick and Easy Brew City Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Recipe
Grilling and tailgating are part of the Wisconsin experience, so it goes without saying that a sandwich like this Brew City Philly Cheesesteak is just the ticket as a delicious and hearty hunger buster.
In truth, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches have a long history out East, thanks to two very resourceful souls: Pat and Harry Olivieri, who invented this famous sandwich in the 1930’s.
They went from making hot dogs to steak sandwiches and founded Pat’s King of Steaks restaurant, which can be still found near South Philadelphia’s Italia Market.
Eventually, cheese was added, provolone and then Cheez Whiz, which gives it a distinctive taste. Piled high with steak, peppers and onions–well, sandwiches don’t get better than this.
Pat’s versus Geno’s Cheesesteak Sandwiches
There’s no doubt about the friendly rivalry between two of the mainstays of Philly Cheesesteak – Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. In many respects, they are very much alike and in others, distinctive. Regardless, both hold a special place for those folks who love everything cheesesteak.
So, why mess with a classic? I’m not, really. I’m merely adding a midwestern touch.
The idea for this recipe came out of necessity to come up with a recipe to serve during Sunday football. Taking my cue from our State’s finest bratwurst recipe, I used the bold flavors of beer and mustard to create a wet rub over several ribeye steaks.
Keep in mind that this wet rub is not meant to “marinate” the steaks, as much as impart a wonderful rich umami of toasty hops and mustard, indicative of many Wisconsin recipes.
In truth, if you soaked the ribeye steaks too long with any marinade or wet rub, this one included, you’d end up with mushy mess of beef. Not too appetizing, I’d say.
The original Philly Cheesesteak is worth a try at least once in your life. But if you can’t make it to this fair city, you can make a memorable sandwich worthy of your family’s table with this quick and easy recipe.
The beer I chose was from New Glarus: Spotted Cow. It is a light, “naturally cloudy farmhouse ale.” The company touts that it has been made since before Prohibition. I like it for its smooth, hoppy flavor.
I then paired the Spotted Cow with Plochman’s Yellow Mustard. Plochman’s is a great choice for mustard because it is rich and bold, but also smooth tasting.
Together they form a wet rub that is complex but tasty.
To start, simply place the ribeye steaks directly into the beer-mustard mixture. However, for this recipe, you only want to marinate your ribeye steaks for 30 minutes or less. Be sure to flip them halfway through this process.
Remove the steaks, dry them off with paper towels. Discard the wet rub. Season each side of the steaks with salt and pepper, then, it’s time to grill.
First, be sure to preheat your grill. For this recipe I used a Weber Genesis II E-310 LP Gas Grill.
To clean the grates use a good grill brush. Next, with a long grill tongs, fold a couple of paper towels and soak in vegetable oil. Rub them across the grates to “grease” them thoroughly. You can always use more vegetable oil, if necessary.
You certainly don’t want your steaks to stick to the grill.
Grill your ribeyes to the preferred likeness. For me, I like mine medium rare.
RELATED: Beef Doneness Guide
Here’s quick how-to video tutorial how to grill the perfect steak. (Video)
Remove your steaks from the grill and allow them to rest for five to 10 minutes.
Then, it’s on to the peppers and onions. As you can see in the photo below, I like to use a variety of colors for my bell peppers. But, you can use a single color if you’d like. As for onions, I chose a sweet onion but you can use red onions or even Spanish onions if you’d like.
Grill both the peppers and onions with a touch of olive oil on the grill until cooked.
Finally, like Pat’s version of cheesesteak, I chose to first slice my steak then “scrambled” it by chopping the steak into small pieces.
To this, I added my cooked peppers and onions, topped with cheese sauce on crusty Italian bread.
It’s meaty, cheesy, peppery and definitely a winner. Enjoy!
For more game day recipes and ideas, be sure to check out Wisconsin Homemaker’s Recipe Section.
Brew City Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ribeye steaks 1 inch thick, approximately 1 1/2 pounds each
- 2 bottles Spotted Cow or any light ale
- 1/2 cup Plochman’s Yellow Mustard
- 2 cups sweet onion sliced
- 4 cups bell peppers seeded and sliced lengthwise
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 Italian rolls or Italian bread divided into fourths
- 1 cup cheese sauce Cheez Whiz or Tostitos Medium Cheese Sauce
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your grill. Then clean and grease well the grill grates.
For the ribeye steaks:
- Then, in a large bowl add the beer and mustard. Mix well.
- Add the ribeye steaks and use this wet rub for less than 30 minutes.
- Remove ribeyes from wet rub. Dry the steaks off. Discard the wet rub. Season the steaks, both sides, with salt and pepper.
- After you have prepped your grill by cleaning and greasing the grates, place the steaks on the hot grill.
- Cook on one side for approximately 4 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 minutes or so until the doneness desired.
- Remove the steaks from the grill, plate, and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Once rested, slice the steaks across the grain, then carefully, chop the steak slices into smaller chunks AKA “scrambled.” Set this aside.
For the vegetables:
- Then in a grill pan, or if preferred, on the stove, sauté the onions and peppers that have been lightly tossed with olive oil.
- Don’t leave the pan unattended, but turn the peppers and onions regularly until both have been cooked completely. Remove. Set aside.
- With the grill still hot, you can toast the Italian rolls/bread or use it as is.
To assemble:
- For each roll layer first with the beef, then onion mixture, finally top with cheese sauce.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
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